Summary
The Human Comedy is a story about a 14 year old boy named Homer Macauley and his family who live in a small town in California, called Ithaca. Ithaca is a little town; that would not seem like it would have much to do, but the Macauley family always finds something to do. The Macauley family consists of Mrs. Macauley and her children: Bess, Marcus, Homer, and Ulysses. Mr. Macauley died two years ago, and the oldest son Marcus is at the war. The plot of the story is Homer got a job at the telegraph office, as a messenger. You wouldn't think it was an interesting job, but when at war, delivering telegrams can change your look on life. The book also lets you see the world through Homer's 4 year old brother Ulysses' eyes, which makes everything seem more interesting and full of purpose. I don't want to ruin the end for you, but I will say that it is sad; I don't say it was bad.
Good Quotes
Homer- "I didn't know anything until I got this job. I knew a lot of things, but I didn't know the half of it, and maybe I never will, either. Maybe nobody ever will. If anybody should, though, I should. I want to know, and I'll always want to know, and I guess I'll always keep trying, but how can you ever know? How can any man ever really get it all straight so that it makes sense?"
Homer- "I've got to keep trying, I don't know how it is with other people, and I don't know whether I can tell you this or not, but I'm not just the guy people see, I'm somebody else besides- somebody better...I don't like the way things are, Mr. Grogan. I don't know why, but I want them to be better. I guess it's because I think they ought to be better. At school I say a lot of funny things, but I don't do it to make trouble for the teachers. I do it because I've got to. Everybody's so mixed up, and everythings so wrong that I've just got to say funny things once in awhile. I guess we ought to have some fun out of being alive."
Mr. Ara- "The world's gone mad. In Russia alone, so near our own country, our beautiful little nation, millions of children, ever day go hungry. They are cold, pathetic, barefooted- They walk around- no place to sleep- they pray for a piece of dry bread- somewhere to lie down and rest- one night of peaceful sleep. And what about us? What do we do? Here we are in Ithaca, California, in this great country, America. What do we do? We wear good clothes. We put on good shoes every morning when we get up from sleep. We walk around with no one in the streets to come with guns or to burn our houses or to murder our children or brothers of fathers. We take rides out in the country in automobiles. We eat the best food. Every night when we go to bed we sleep- and then what are we? We are discontented. We are still discontented."
conversation between Spangler and John.
John- "Come on. give me all the money you've got in this place. Everybody's killing everybody, so I don't mind if I kill you. And I don't mind if I'm killed, either. I'm excited and I don't want any trouble, so give me all the money and hurry."
Spangler- "I'd give you the money anyway, but not because you're pointing a gun at me. I'd give it to you because you need it. Here. This is all the money there is. Take it and get on a train and go home. Go back where you belong. I won't report a theft. I'll make it good myself..."
John- "I came here with a gun to find out once and for all if the only man in the world I have ever known who has been decent to another man just to be decent-just for itself- was truly so...You've given me everything I want. You can't give me anything more. You understand, I know."
Why is the book outstanding?
This book is outstanding because it's not only a fun, interesting, and great book, but it also makes you think. It makes you think about how the world is, why it is the way it is, and if there really is something you can do about it. Now don't be fooled by the title, I wouldn't call this book a comedy (funny comedy), but I deffinately did like this book, I would highly suggest reading it.
Source: http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/f5/150px-WilliamSaroyan_TheHumanComedy.jpg
Summary
The Human Comedy is a story about a 14 year old boy named Homer Macauley and his family who live in a small town in California, called Ithaca. Ithaca is a little town; that would not seem like it would have much to do, but the Macauley family always finds something to do. The Macauley family consists of Mrs. Macauley and her children: Bess, Marcus, Homer, and Ulysses. Mr. Macauley died two years ago, and the oldest son Marcus is at the war. The plot of the story is Homer got a job at the telegraph office, as a messenger. You wouldn't think it was an interesting job, but when at war, delivering telegrams can change your look on life. The book also lets you see the world through Homer's 4 year old brother Ulysses' eyes, which makes everything seem more interesting and full of purpose. I don't want to ruin the end for you, but I will say that it is sad; I don't say it was bad.
Good Quotes
Homer- "I didn't know anything until I got this job. I knew a lot of things, but I didn't know the half of it, and maybe I never will, either. Maybe nobody ever will. If anybody should, though, I should. I want to know, and I'll always want to know, and I guess I'll always keep trying, but how can you ever know? How can any man ever really get it all straight so that it makes sense?"
Homer- "I've got to keep trying, I don't know how it is with other people, and I don't know whether I can tell you this or not, but I'm not just the guy people see, I'm somebody else besides- somebody better...I don't like the way things are, Mr. Grogan. I don't know why, but I want them to be better. I guess it's because I think they ought to be better. At school I say a lot of funny things, but I don't do it to make trouble for the teachers. I do it because I've got to. Everybody's so mixed up, and everythings so wrong that I've just got to say funny things once in awhile. I guess we ought to have some fun out of being alive."
Mr. Ara- "The world's gone mad. In Russia alone, so near our own country, our beautiful little nation, millions of children, ever day go hungry. They are cold, pathetic, barefooted- They walk around- no place to sleep- they pray for a piece of dry bread- somewhere to lie down and rest- one night of peaceful sleep. And what about us? What do we do? Here we are in Ithaca, California, in this great country, America. What do we do? We wear good clothes. We put on good shoes every morning when we get up from sleep. We walk around with no one in the streets to come with guns or to burn our houses or to murder our children or brothers of fathers. We take rides out in the country in automobiles. We eat the best food. Every night when we go to bed we sleep- and then what are we? We are discontented. We are still discontented."
conversation between Spangler and John.
John- "Come on. give me all the money you've got in this place. Everybody's killing everybody, so I don't mind if I kill you. And I don't mind if I'm killed, either. I'm excited and I don't want any trouble, so give me all the money and hurry."
Spangler- "I'd give you the money anyway, but not because you're pointing a gun at me. I'd give it to you because you need it. Here. This is all the money there is. Take it and get on a train and go home. Go back where you belong. I won't report a theft. I'll make it good myself..."
John- "I came here with a gun to find out once and for all if the only man in the world I have ever known who has been decent to another man just to be decent-just for itself- was truly so...You've given me everything I want. You can't give me anything more. You understand, I know."
Why is the book outstanding?
This book is outstanding because it's not only a fun, interesting, and great book, but it also makes you think. It makes you think about how the world is, why it is the way it is, and if there really is something you can do about it. Now don't be fooled by the title, I wouldn't call this book a comedy (funny comedy), but I deffinately did like this book, I would highly suggest reading it.